1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to seats for pets and more specifically to an improved pet seat or bed for holding a small pet in a secure position in a vehicle on the console thereof and which may also be utilized as a pet bed in locations other than a vehicle and also may be utilized for carrying a pet.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many seats for pets which may be utilized in vehicles for transporting the pets have heretofore been described and/or offered for sale. Many such devices were the same as or similar to booster seats for children. Some of the prior art pet seats were specifically designed for pets rather than children and which recognized the needs of the pet rather than the child. In many of the prior art pet seats for vehicles the seat itself was not attached to the seat or back of the vehicle seat in a secure fashion or else required modification to the vehicle seat/back for securing the pet seat. Such modifications were often expensive and difficult to install in a vehicle. Still other vehicle pet seats did not provide for or allow the pet, when positioned in the seat, to have the visibility of the surroundings that many pets, such as dogs, desire when in a vehicle. Still other prior art pet seats have had mechanical or rigid structures incorporated therein which increases the cost and complexity of such pet seats. Further, some prior art pet seats did not provide for adequately and safely securing the pet into the seat as well as securing the seat in the vehicle.
It is desirable to have the pet seat incorporate structure for securing the pet in the pet seat by utilizing an attachment to the conventional collar/harness of the pet. In some of the prior art pet seats the vehicle seat belt structure was utilized to restrain the pet seat but at least some portions of the vehicle seat belt structure were in regions accessible to the pet. In such prior art pet seats, the pet could chew on the securing vehicle seat belt structure thereby weakening the seat belt and thus impairing its safety function.
In the case of any motion of the vehicle inducing rapid changes in acceleration such as sudden stops, accidents and the like, it is desired that the pet seat provide a cushioning effect in the sides, front, back as well as a cushioned seat upon which the pet may sit and or lie down.
Since many pets desire to look in the direction of travel, it is desirable to have the pet seat designed so that the forward vision of the pet while in the pet seat is minimally obscured and yet the forward portion of the pet seat still providing cushioning for the pet.
Console structures are often provided in vehicles, for example, between the driver and passenger seat in the front seat of the vehicle and often between the seats in the second and/or third row of seats in a vehicle such as sport utility vehicles, vans, cabin pickup trucks and the like. Many of the consoles heretofore utilized in the vehicles are of the “clam shell” type structure in which a lid to the console is hinged to the rear of the body of the console and open from the front thereof.
The structure of the pet seat should be complimentary to and inter-engaging with the design of some secure structures in vehicles. The consoles of the vehicles can provide such secure structure for the attachment of a pet seat thereto.
In some of the prior art pet seats, complicated, and costly rigid mechanical arrangements or other rigid structures have been incorporated into the seat design. Such rigid structures could injure the pet and/or add cost to the manufacture of the pet seat. It is desirable that the pet seat be free of the rigid mechanical structures or components so that the cost of the pet seat and safety of the pet are provided. Further, the complicated structural attachments often utilized for securing the prior art pet seats to the vehicle structures often deterred consumers from the use of the pet seat or resulted in the pet seat not being securely attached with the resultant danger of injury to the pet.
Thus, it has long been desired to provide a pet seat, particularly adapted to accommodate small pets and which pet seat may be securely attached to the console of a vehicle with a minimum of complicated attachment methods.
The prior art pet seats have not been able to provide these desiderata.